奥运冠军杨威给青年干部上党课：奋斗的青春最美丽

I was aimlessly scrolling LinkedIn one evening when I noticed a post that gave me pause. A senior leader in communications — a peer — shared the news of her recent layoff. Nhu-Y Lehner’s post was so honest and heartfelt that I felt compelled to respond in some way. I clicked on her profile, hoping it would give me insight into her career path and perhaps an idea for how I could help her. 

Nhu-Y’s previous roles were certainly different from mine, but her job descriptions and career trajectory felt familiar. I read phrases like, “Leading internal and external communications, championing new ways of working, coaching executives on communications, and being a change management champion…” I saw myself in Nhu-Y’s resume and thought, “This could be me. I could be next.” 

Still unsure exactly how to help, I sent her a simple message to convey my support for her. (After all, my Job Search Principle No. 3 is Kindness, Not Competition.)

It was less than a week later that I learned my position would be among those eliminated, following the sale of the company as part of its Chapter 11 exit strategy. 

The message I sent to Nhu-Y led to a slew of frequent exchanges with our sharing job posting links, recruiter names and ideas for how to market ourselves in this challenging time. I told my husband about my new LinkedIn friend, and he looked at me incredulously.

“Wait, aren’t you two competing for the same jobs though?” he asked. 

We are definitely applying for many of the same jobs. And while we have our own unique experiences and standout talents, on screen, we appear to be each other's rivals.

“Yes, we are,” I responded. “But if she gets hired instead of me, then that wasn’t the right role for me. And if I help her find a job, that’s one less person I am so-called ‘competing’ against. Plus, if she lands somewhere first, maybe she can bring me along or just keep helping me with my search!”

So, what do you do when you connect with another professional and realize they are “the competition?” Do you go your separate ways and make a sprint for the job offer finish line? Or do you race there together, cheering each other on? 

Nhu-Y and I discussed this, and we identified five ways to help your own “rivals” navigate the job search: 

1. Recap personal interview experiences. Generic interview tips can be discovered on any search engine, but sharing our personal insights about companies we know that the other is interviewing with helps us prepare more strategically.
2. Share job postings, recruiters and connections. Don’t assume your colleague has seen the same job postings you have. In fact, you may spot a position that you think would be a great fit for your colleague, but perhaps they overlooked it because they didn’t think they would be qualified for some reason. Having an objective person helping review job postings can widen one’s search. 
3. Rehearse together. You both have intimate knowledge of your field, so practice the tough interview questions together, offering each other feedback on responses.
4. Celebrate successes. Keep each other motivated by sustaining positive energy. Job searches can be exhausting, discouraging and exhilarating all at the same time. It’s helpful to share these emotions with someone who can relate firsthand to the journey you are on. 
5. Hire me first, and I’ll hire you next! We know that whoever is hired first will make the utmost effort to hire the other person if the opportunity arises, or at the very least, continue helping the other person with their job search. 

So, while others may view us as competitors for the same jobs, we view ourselves as partners in the relay race to beat unemployment. Hire us both, and we’ll happily cross the finish line together!